Method for forming pinch pleats for draperies

ABSTRACT

An improved method for forming winged pinch pleats for draperies is presented. The novel method constitutes of essentially three steps, namely: (1) The sewing of a strip of stiff fabric, generally called a buckram, along the edge of a piece of material adapted for use as a drape upon which pleats are to be formed. The edge of the drapery is then folded around the buckram so as to form a uniform double ply area along one edge of the drapery. (2) A pleat gage of substantially rectangular dimensions is inserted along each of a series of pre-determined center lines. The pleat gage serves as a measuring device by which a transverse loop having a desired cross-sectional area is obtained. The drape material is folded around the pleat gage which is sewn along that longitudinal side of the pleat gage which is opposite to the inner side of the transverse loop. The pleat gage is then removed. (3) A pleat former having a plurality of flat longitudinal wings integrally joined to each other at a common inner edge, is placed into the transverse loop. The surrounding material is then pressed and kneaded with one&#39;&#39;s fingers against the pleat former to obtain the form of a pleat. The pleat former is then removed and the wings of the pleat are then stitched together at their base.

United States Patent [191 Rekker [451 Nov. 19, 1974 METHOD FOR FORMING PINCH PLEATS FOR DRAPERIES [76] Inventor: Robert A. Rekker, 428 Howe Ave.,

Passaic, NJ. 07055 22 Filed: Apr. 9, 1974 211 Appl. No.: 459,312

[52] US. Cl. 223/34 [51] Int. Cl. A41b 43/00, D06j H00 [58] Field of Search 223/28-34,

223/37; l12/136147;33/111, 137 R, 137 L, 190-192, 174 R, 176, 178 B, 179, 174 B, 174 G, 180 R, 185 R Primary Examiner-Geo. V. Larkin Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Mel K. Silverman, Esq.

[57] ABSTRACT An improved method for forming winged pinch pleats for draperies is presented. The novel method constitutes of essentially three steps, namely: (1) The sewing of a strip of stiff fabric, generally called a buckram, along the edge of a piece of material adapted for use as a drape upon which pleats are to be formed. The edge of the drapery is then folded around the buckram so as to form a uniform double ply area along one edge of the drapery. (2) A pleat gage of substantially rectangular dimensions is inserted along each of a series of pre-determined center lines. The pleat gage serves as a measuring device by which a transverse loop having a desired cross-sectional area is obtained. The drape material is folded around the pleat gage which is sewn along that longitudinal side of the pleat gage which is opposite to the inner side of the transverse loop. The pleat gage is then removed. (3) A pleat former having a plurality 'of flat longitudinal wings integrally joined to each other at a common inner edge, is placed into the transverse loop. The surrounding material is then pressed and kneaded with ones fingers against the pleat former to obtain the form of a pleat. The pleat former is then removed and the wings of the pleat are then stitched together at their base.

1 Claim, 9 Drawing Figures PATENTELHUV I 9l974 82 SHEET 2 OF 2 METHOD FOR FORMING PINCH PLEATS FOR DRAPERIES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to closures of a flexible nature, and more particularly to that class of closures generally associated with textiles, as well as that class of textile closures often termed pleats and utilized as a decorative means in association with window drapes.

In addition, the present invention can be construed as relating to apparel means, and more particularly relating to folding guides utilized in the pleating, fluting and shirring of certain apparel, with particular attention directed to pleating techniques for window draper- 1es.

The problem of forming pleats of a uniform and esthetically pleasing nature for use with a curtain heading has long been recognized in the art. Such patents appear in Class 160, Subclass 348; Class 223, Subclass 34;

as well as other subclasses within said classes. The patents in this area disclose methods and apparatus for forming pinch pleats in draperies and the like.

Existent in the prior art are so-called pleat guides, e.g., the patent to Henry, U.S. Pat. No. 3,643,336 (1972). Other patents suggest pleat forming means which are highly technical, and could not, in most cases, be utilized by an average homemaker, but would rather be limited in their application to large-scale drapery production.

One approach of interest with regard to the contribution of the present invention, is the patent to Kalder, US Pat. No. 3,559,717 (1971). This patent discloses a pinch-pleat curtain heading stiffener which is incorporated into the curtain as a part of the pleat itself. The general concept of a pleat stiffener, as disclosed by Kalder, is, in the present invention, applied to a generalized method of forming pinch pleats wherein the need to incorporate a stiffener into every desired pleat is obviated. To this extent, the present invention can be viewed as an improvement upon Kalder. In addition, it can be viewed as an improvement upon the general class of patents utilizing pleat guide techniques, which the patent to Euzarraga, US. Pat. No. 3,400,868 (1968) is representative of.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved means for the forming of pinch pleats in draperies.

Yet another object of the present invention is toprovide a means for forming pinch pleats having a butterfly configuration.

A yet further object is to provide a means for forming a multi-looped butterfly pleat for drapery headings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a comer of drape material and an area of buckram to be incorporated as a backing to the drape material.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an area of drape material into which the buckram has'been sewn and folded.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view taken along line -33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the'heading of a drape being sewed along a line determined by a pleat gage.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the pleat gage.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a transverse loop of a drapery heading which has been sewn along a longitudinal edge of the pleat gage.

FIG. 7 illustrates a pleat former inserted into a prospective pleat loop with material pressed about the pleat former.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a pleat former.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a completed pinchpleat formed in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION FIG. 1 illustrates a comer of a piece of drapery material 10. Also, a material stiffening fabric I2, popularly known as a buckram is shown in FIG. 1. The buckram 12 is positioned and sewn on the wrong side of the material 10, behind a fold 14 (side hem) of the material 10.

The material 10 is then folded, with the buckram therein, in a manner shown in FIG. 2. An area 16 of the material comprises a heading of the drape material 10. A side elevation view of the heading 16 is shown in FIG. 3. In said Figure, it may be seen that the buckram 12 serves as a support for that portion of the material 10 which comprises the heading 16. After the heading 16 has been formed, a series of center lines 18 (see FIG. 2) are marked off along a plane transverse to the length of said heading. The location of the center lines can be determined by any of a variety of formulas known in the industry, the specifics of which are not germane to the present invention.

After the center lines have been marked, a substantially rectangular guide termed a pleat gage 20 is utilized. The heading 16 is wrapped about the pleat gage 20 in a manner illustrated in FIG. 4. It is noted that the center line 18 is aligned with an edge 22 of the pleat gage 20. After the gage has been positioned within the heading 16, the heading is sewn along the edge 24 of the gage 20. Stitching 26 is extended, parallel to edge 24, for a distance corresponding to the height of the buckrram. See FIG. 6.

The result of the above stitching procedure is that of forming a transverse fold or loop 28 which corresponds in cross-section to the total cross-sectional area of the pleats which will be ultimately formed.

After the loop 28 is formed, a multi-flanged pleat former 30 is inserted into said loop with center leg at center line 18. See FIG. 7. After the former 30 is inserted, the loop is pressed and kneaded about the entire surface of the former 30. The presence of the buckram 12 within the heading 16 serves to strengthen the drape material sufi'iciently so that the outline of the pleat former 30 can be readily retained by the material.

It is to be noted that the pleat former may assume any of a variety of different cross-sections and, accordingly, that the concept of a pleat former may be applied to the formation of curtain pleats andclothing pleats having any of a wide variety of different designs that can be simulated in cross section by a pleat former, such as the former 30.

After the former is removed, an end stitch 32 is made at the left end of pleat 34. The particular pleat results from the shape and size of the former 30. The purpose of the stitch 32 is to secure the pleat'34 to its ultimate appearance.

It is thus seen that the objects of the invention, as described in the Summary of the Invention have been obtained by the above description.

While there have been herein shown and described the preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise than as herein specifically illustrated and described and that within said embodiments certain changes in the detail and construction, and the form and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the underlying idea or principles of this invention within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new, useful, and non-obvious and accordingly secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A method for forming winged pinch pleats, comprising the steps of:

a. positioning and sewing a stiffening means in supporting abutment to an area of drapery material intended for use as a heading of a drape;

b. folding a portion of said area in order to define upper and lower horizontal limits to said heading;

c. marking off a plurality of centerlines, each centerline being transverse with respect to the major axis of the heading;

d. aligning one edge of a pleat gage with one of said centerlines;

e. folding said heading about said pleat gage in order to form a longitudinal loop corresponding in crosssection to the total of the cross-sections of the wings of the desired pleat;

f. stitching said loop parallel to the edge of said pleat gage opposite to said centerline;

g. inserting a pleat former within said longitudinal loop;

h. pressing the material of said loop, including said stiffening means, into firm contact with said pleat former in order to conform said material into the shape of said pleat former and thereby of a pleat;

i. withdrawing said pleat former; and

j. stitching the lower ends of the wings of said pleat,

thereby securing the pleat into its ultimate form. 

1. A method for forming winged pinch pleats, comprising the steps of: a. positioning and sewing a stiffening means in supporting abutment to an area of drapery material intended for use as a heading of a drape; b. folding a portion of said area in order to define upper and lower horizontal limits to said heading; c. marking off a plurality of centerlines, each centerline being transverse with respect to the major axis of the heading; d. aligning one edge of a pleat gage with one of said centerlines; e. folding said heading about said pleat gage in order to form a longitudinal loop corresponding in cross-section to the total of the cross-sections of the wings of the desired pleat; f. stitching said loop parallel to the edge of said pleat gage opposite to said centerline; g. inserting a pleat former within said longitudinal loop; h. pressing the material of said loop, including said stiffening means, into firm contact with said pleat former in order to conform said material into the shape of said pleat former and thereby of a pleat; i. withdrawing said pleat former; and j. stitching the lower ends of the wings of said pleat, thereby securing the pleat into its ultimate form. 